⬇️ Read or download BETTER FINANCE's Individual Investors’ Key Priorities for 2024-2029 below. ⬇️

Let’s harness the Savings and Investments Union’s (SIU) potential to benefit our citizens as financial consumers, retail investors and pension savers, as well as our planet, economy, and future generations. This will ensure Europe’s prosperity and security in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment.

BETTER FINANCE acts as an independent expertise centre and strengthens the voice of European financial consumers, retail investors, shareholders and EU citizens as insurance policyholders and pension savers.

We use our collective independent financial expertise to work together with the EU policymakers towards delivering a truly Sustainable Capital Markets Union that “works for people”. BETTER FINANCE’s EU Elections Manifesto has been endorsed by BETTER FINANCE’s Board of Directors. This roadmap reflects our 2023 national members’ survey while echoing our “Key Priorities 2019-2024”, many of which have yet to be addressed by policymakers.

Major efforts have already been made to achieve this objective. The incoming EU Parliament and Commission must build on the existing work but should also be more ambitious. The financial well-being of EU citizens and the competitiveness of the EU economy are threatened by too low participation in local capital markets. Since 2008, the significance and relative size of EU capital markets have greatly diminished, particularly in comparison to the United States.

While non-financial issues like the physical health conditions, the war in Ukraine, or the control of immigration into the EU do impact the welfare of EU citizens, securing the financing of the EU economy is key to avoid further widening this gap in financial wellbeing. The growing problems with the national pension systems and pension inadequacy, in particular stemming from underperforming and complex pension savings products, are also serious hindrances to the wellbeing of European citizens. EU capital markets can be more competitive only if they are deeper, more integrated, and stronger, with citizens at the centre. More competition among service providers, promotion of market efficiency, integration and especially better outcomes for investors are needed at the forefront of the debate.

In order to make EU capital markets more competitive and attractive for citizens and enterprises, an SIU that works for people, BETTER FINANCE, recommends to:

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